I spent a few days in Philadelphia two weeks ago and really enjoyed getting to know the town. The obviously cool thing about Philly is its significance in American history as the birthplace of our Declaration of Independence, but beyond that astounding importance there is also the fact that it is just a really cool city, full of history, fab architecture and amazing art collections.

It feels somewhat like a small town, with the cobblestone streets, row house and walk ability. I found it quite easy to get around the center of the city and even beyond (even if my feet were screaming!) Their public transportation was also quite convenient and easily navigated. Although, walking was my preferred mode of transportation, because I didn’t want to miss a thing.

Upon my arrival, I was disappointed to find out that the clock tower on City Hall was closed for renovations and the famous William Penn bronze statue was shrouded in scaffolding. Not quite the level of disappointment I felt when the Trevi Fountain was under renovation during my Italy trip, but still, deflating, considering how iconic that figure is to the Philadelphia landscape. Bummer, indeed.

I visited the places that are essential to really learn and appreciate Philly, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I even ran up the “Rocky Steps”! Eye of the Tiger, and all!….

The importance of the historical sites had a profoundly moving effect on me, considering our current political climate. I saved these visits for my last day there, so that I could give them my full attention.

To see the views looking in, I ventured across the Ben Franklin Bridge into Camden, New Jersey to take some skyline shots looking west. If I had been truly smart I would’ve gotten out earlier that morning to take advantage of my one sunny day on my Philly trip! I also got evening views looking in from the west, but as the clouds and rain settled in, I wasn’t too happy with the results.

Below are some of my fave images so far. Some of them a bit processed, some not.

I am getting ready to go on another photo trip in a few weeks. And amongst all the preparations and excitement, it gets me thinking about the places I’ve been and the places I love the most.

In recent times, my most favorite location to shoot was on the rooftop of Rockefeller Center. As many times as I’ve been to New York, I had never taken this trip to the “top of the rock”.

Skyline Romance / Sonja Quintero / Squint Photography

This photograph was taken there on a cool, September evening. Among many others taken that beautiful night, this was one of my faves. This isn’t the typical view that people share from this vantage point. While hordes of tourists gathered around the “binoculars” to get glimpses of the Empire State and One World Tower in the distance, I found myself trying to escape the crowds and….walking over to the fringes to capture images like this. I love the dramatic skyscraper shapes jutting towards the sky. The windows and various materials on the buildings create texture and variety, in an otherwise fairly monotone view. The city is portrayed as alive and energetic as it is in real life.

While my DSLR captures great images, sometimes in situations like this, where you are dealing with crowds and vying for the “perfect spot” to take in the view, it would be wonderful to have a “point & shoot” compact type camera with capabilities to match that of my DSLR. The ease and flexibility would allow me to shoot and capture images comfortably, quickly and without sacrificing quality. The camera to tackle the job just might be the Light 16 by Light Co. This smartphone sized camera uses multiple apetures to capture light and fuses the images to create a high resolution, low noise, 52 megapixels photo. Power like this, all in the palm of your hand. Incredible. Sure could use that on my travels!

In bringing you this post about my favorite travel spot, I also partnered with Light Co on their #vantagepoint project to share with my readers this exciting new technology. Just think of what it can do for you on your travels here and abroad! To learn more about the company and this compact, revolutionary camera, check out the L16 here.

To see more of my work and sign up for discounts and downloads check out my site here.

Oh lovely London! There is no place quite like it. Last November I finally got to explore the charm of England’s capital city. Of course, being on the island, we were greeted with chilly rains and grey, monotone skies. But that was to be expected and it certainly did not dampen my spirits about being in the land of Shakespeare and the Beatles!

While, there were moments during the trip when the sun did shine through, they didn’t last long and the clouds were back again. But mostly, this was a good thing, keeping harsh shadows out for my images.

We did most of the touristy stops, Parliament (which I had to go back and capture on another day since our first outing there was washed out by hard rain), Tower of London, St. Paul’s, Westminster, Tower Bridge, etc. But what I wanted mostly was to capture the eclectic energy of the city. The variety of architecture, the variety of cultures and people was quite exciting to me. I instantly felt comfortably at home in this place. I could explore for days and never get tired of it. If only there was the time! Time to see more pubs, more street art and more fashion….I can’t wait to get back there.

I’ve since picked out my fave images from the trip, but in doing so, realized how much more I would’ve liked to capture. I suppose that’ll be for next time. Until then….